That there are no permanent friends in politics sounds like a cliché now.
But this week, in an around parliament, it was clear there are no permanent enemies in the trade; there are only shifting interests.
At the rate at which fresh and unlikely alliances seem to be brewing among MPs, Scrutator would not be surprised to wake up and find “Uncle Tom” having forged a deal with his greatest nemesis, “Mahaletere”.
It sounds unusual, yet one cannot put it past them; after all ke ma-congress kaofela.
Through the late great Ntsu Mokehle, who was in his turn inspired by one Josiah Lefela from Leribe, the two still have their grounding in the tap-root of Congress ideology.
Scrutator was therefore not surprised to see Timothy Thahane hobnobbing with Molobeli Soulo around the august House up Mpilo.
The question keeps lingering, what are these unlikely bed-fellows up to, politically?
Scrutator knows like any other journalist that we have to stick to facts, but she knows equally that any communicator can ignore the grapevine at her own peril.
Which leads to the question: Is Mopatho Monyake together with Soulo and others, considering forming a new political party?
It’s not far-fetched to see another coalition, this time a coalition of political casualties: all the disgruntled elements from the All Basotho Convention, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy and even the Democratic Congress could find a home in a camp of the wounded.
Yet Monyake was at it again, confirming there is space for another political party yet denying he was harbouring intentions to form a political party, all in one fell swoop.
“I want to openly state that such allegations are untrue. They are like utterances from someone who has not taken his mental illness medication.”
If this had come from any other politician, Basotho would have believed it. But coming from the same Monyake of the Scott infamy, no one can take his word for it.
Last year he shouted his voice hoarse proclaiming (the way Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden) that Scott had been apprehended and would be in Lesotho in two weeks time.
Only Obama had his facts straight while Monyake was left with egg on his face. Three months later, there is no sign of the most wanted criminal suspect.
Scrutator challenged him to produce Scott and Monyake failed to deliver. So why should we trust such a character?
It seems like Monyake likes to play to the gallery all the time and one common trait among such characters is that they can’t stick to any position.
They go where the wind blows.
Only two weeks ago he told one weekly newspaper that he “wouldn’t die an ABC member”.
Afterall Thabane, Mosisili and many other politicians of note in the land have been changing party affiliation at the slightest whim, he said then.
So why then deny that your bruised ego could get a makeover if you were to form a political party, abuti Monyake?
It’s not a crime. Afterall, you are a politician and a young one at that because I know for a fact you are more or less my mother’s age, whom I also call ausi.
Indeed politics is a murky playing field.
Nowhere is the “game” of politics dirtier at present than in South Africa’s run-up to national elections next month.
From a commercial point of view, they say sex sells. That is why news media like “sexy” stories and again this is why sexy supermodels are used to advertise cars and a host of other human “wants”.
That is understandable, but for political parties to use sex to entice voters, that certainly is taking politics to desperate, uncharted territory.
In a desperate attempt to win votes, the African National Congress (ANC) has embarked on what can be classified as the world’s most shocking election campaigns yet, by adding sex workers to the equation.
After several “food for votes” initiatives, South Africa’s ruling party realised they can no longer woo voters with food parcels, so it’s now vote ANC and get a free prostitute.
The tinned-fish and Iwisa maize meal food parcel strategy was no longer working for the ANC, therefore the party had to explore other “innovative” ways to garner votes.
It is alleged that the initial “campaign testing” held in Mpumalanga, was a resounding success. The skimpily dressed, well trained “ladies of the night” were seen lifting their legs higher than Mount Everest when chanting struggle songs.
It is alleged that the “innovative campaign initiative” was trending amongst comrades at the venue.
ANC’s spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said, “According to ANC’s protection of information Act, we are not at liberty to discuss our election campaign strategy with the media. Whether we use prostitutes to campaign for us or not’s an internal matter and will be treated as such.”
Leading to the elections, it is alleged that a toll free line will be made available for horny South Africans to call in and have raunchy phone sex sessions with the prostitutes.
The prostitutes will also make house calls for those looking for a more physical action.
According to an exposé published by a popular Sunday newspaper, this jaw-dropping campaign was officially launched during the January 8 Statement held in Mpumalanga, where an array of prostitutes were roped in from all corners of the Gauteng province.
“I have never seen so many short skirts in one place at the same time . . . It was like watching an episode of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not,” said one very excited Mpumalanga man, who added that after this spectacle, he will definitely be voting for the ANC.
Insiders claim that male and female prostitutes will be deployed across all voting stations to ensure that all voters are kept “entertained”.
Following years of empty promises, fraud, corruption, sexual scandals and the extortion of taxpayers’ money, South Africans have lost all faith in the ruling party and this has clearly left the ANC nervous.
New political parties mushrooming everywhere have also added to the pressure, the recent one being Desmond Tutu’s gay political party called ‘DRAAMA’ (Democratic Religious Alliance Against Minority Antagonism).
Scrutator could have published the pictures of sex workers paraded in Mpumalanga but the editor, who is very conservative, said there should be no place for such explicit images in a family newspaper.
Besides the anger at seeing her fellow sisters paraded like animals awaiting immolation, Scrutator thinks using sex workers is an indictment on what has become of governance in Mzansi.
The entire moral fabric has been prostituted in politicians’ rat race to garner votes.
Remember the famous but temporary kiss between Helen Zille and Mamphele Ramphele.
This is why I said in the beginning, any alliances are possible in politics.
Ao, chehe!!!!
Scrutatorqacha@gmail.com
